


what's in a timeline

by Thatbookishgirl



Series: A Wolf and his Boy [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Crossing Timelines, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Light Angst, Love, M/M, Mutual Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Smut, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 16:09:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8585077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatbookishgirl/pseuds/Thatbookishgirl
Summary: A Djinn ends up crossing paths with Stiles and sends him hurtling through a portal into an alternate timeline while also pulling the Stiles from that timeline and having them switch paces. Both have to figure out how to navigate very different dynamics between all the people they're close with from their reality. Will they be able to switch back? And how will they manage in their own timelines with all the knowledge they gained from the other?





	

**Author's Note:**

> ok, so the original timeline will be typed in plain text while the other will be in italics. obviously you smarties can figure that out. thakns for reading and please let me know what you think :)

 

                The pack was sprinting through the forest while trying to outrun what Stiles called the ‘fast-approaching, swirling vortex of doom.’ The Djinn had launched some vague and menacing threat and as soon as a beam of light expanded around them and started approaching they took off running. Stiles was stuck near the back but Peter was right in front of him. Derek growled when he saw Lydia nearly trip so he scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder.

                “This would be sexier if it weren’t necessary for my survival,” she sassed as Derek pressed onward. He growled deep in his throat again and wished they weren’t trying to outrun an unknown horror.

                “How long do we have to run from this thing?!” Scott shouted.

                “Great question, Scotty. Let’s stop to talk about it,” Stiles barked and tried not to stumble as they started going downhill. Inevitably, he did fall and soon most of the pack had more distance, but Peter stopped.

                “Stiles!” Peter froze and saw the light get closer to him. Stiles waggled his fingers and he was launched off the ground and he landed with a thud by Peter. He quickly grabbed the boy’s arm and pulled him along. But the light was moving faster and even the quickest of them weren’t going to outrun it. The earth started to shake and Stiles fell again, a second later he was enveloped by the bright light and the world stopped.

 

               

                His head hurt. And it hurt bad. He could feel the hard ground underneath him and there were definitely leaves in his hair. Probably dirt all over his jeans too. He tried to sit up and dizziness forced him back to the ground.

                “Don’t try and move. We don’t know what that Djinn did. Or what that light did to you,” Scott was leaning over him with Peter and Derek on either side. Lydia was hovering over his face and looking into his eyes.

                “He doesn’t have a concussion,” Lydia offered.

                “What happened?” Stiles groaned.

                “Before or after you fell into the weird, sentient light?” Peter asked and plucked debris from Stiles’ hair.

                “After. I remember falling and the stupid light grabbing me,” he breathed out.

                “Well, you disappeared for a minute and then reappeared. Forcefully, I might add. You were thrown out and landed hard. We’ve been waiting for you to wake back up. Allison and Jackson went to see if they could find the Djinn but so far we have no idea where it got to,” Peter explained.

                “Can someone help me up, please?” Stiles grumbled.

                “Of course, darling,” Peter moved to press a kiss to Stile’s cheek and pick him up but the boy flinched away.

                “What the hell? What’s with the pet names, creeperwolf? Did you hit your head too?” Stiles perplexed.

                “Wait…” Lydia pulled down Stiles’ shirt collar and everyone standing around gasped audibly.

                “That explains the smell…” Scott wrinkled his nose.

                “He’s not our Stiles,” Isaac frowned.

                “Then where is ours?” Peter half-growled.

                “What are you guys talking about?” Stiles demanded and finally sat up all the way while leaning on Lydia.

                “You aren’t our Stiles. Ours has a large chest tattoo of the lunar cycle. And he doesn’t smell like you do. And he wouldn’t have flinched when Peter tried to touch him,” Lydia continued.

                “I don’t understand,” he grimaced.

                “The Djinn. The light. It did something. It gave us a different version of you,” Peter was scowling like Derek would usually be, “I will find him and kill him if he doesn’t fix this.”

                “Wait. Wait. Hold on. Wind it back and explain this to me again. From the beginning,” Stiles swayed a bit on his feet but Lydia and Scott held him up.

                “There was a Djinn. He said some crazy spell and light started hurtling towards us. We ran. You fell. The light ate you or whatever and then spit you back out. But you’re clearly not the same Stiles that went in,” Erica chimed.

                “Ok…we can work with this. Weirdly, not the worst thing that happened. And not the first time I’ve ended up somewhere else. Remember that time me and Scott got sent back in time?” he tried to laugh, “I guess you guys might not have had the same thing happened.”

                “No. No time travel for us, so far. Though I do not put it past you to get us into such a situation,” Derek added.

                “Let’s get back to the house and figure this out. Jackson and Allison are still trailing the Djinn. We can go through the books and see if we can’t find something to summon him,” Peter instructed. He kept staring at Stiles and tightening his jaw.

                “The old man is right, let’s go,” Stiles sighed and let Scott practically carry him.

 

**

                _“Scott! Peter!” Stiles yelled as he tried to climb out of the ravine the light spit him out into._

_“Stiles!” Allison shouted as she scrambled down the hill to find him wedged between a tree and a rock._

_“Oh, thank god,” Lydia breathed out and practically threw herself at Stiles._

_“That was ridiculous, man,” Isaac shuffled down the hill with Scott and Derek. Peter, Jackson, Boyd, and Erica remained above and kept scanning the land around them, “The weird light thing just threw you across the clearing. God, your clothes are torn.” His clothes were torn, the shirt was coming apart at his collar and his jeans were ripped on one side, plus the sleeve on his right arm couldn’t even be considered a sleeve anymore._

_“Yea. I feel great,” Stiles winced and favored his leg as Scott helped him up the hill. Once he reached the top he moved to wrap his arms around Peter. The older man stiffened and everyone around him gaped._

_“What are you doing, Stiles? How hard did you hit your head?” Peter spoke softly._

_“Not so hard that I can’t tell how weird you’re being,” Stiles nuzzled into the crook of Peter’s neck._

_“Ummm, what?” Scott was looking at Stiles with confusion as he enveloped Peter and the wolf seemed a bit confused by the action._

_“Stiles, come here,” Lydia requested. Stiles reluctantly released Peter and presented himself to Lydia. She tugged apart the torn collar of Stile’s shirt and her eyes widened in surprise, “Oh. Oh no. This isn’t good.”_

_“What’s wrong?” Jackson joined her side and looked at Stiles’ chest in kind, “No way.”_

_“Dude, what? Why are you all being weird?” Stiles demanded. Derek turned his body and was finally looking at what everyone else was viewing._

_“Well, now I know why you smelled funny. We thought maybe the light vortex left behind a weird scent,” Derek was scanning Stiles up and down as Peter took a step forward and really examined the boy. He had a large chest tattoo, a lunar cycle with the full moon in the center. And just beneath it was the word Piotr in a lovely script. Stiles had a tattoo, but it wasn’t this._

_“Why – why is my name tattooed on you? When did you get this?” Peter stumbled._

_“What are you talking about? I’ve had this for over a year. And you have my name tattooed too. Right on your ribcage,” Stiles looked worried and reached for Peter’s hand but he pulled it back in shock._

_“Stiles…you’re not…you’re not ours. Our Stiles doesn’t have that tattoo. He certainly doesn’t have my name tattooed on him. That wormhole, or whatever it was, it put you somewhere else,” Peter tensed._

_“I – what?” Stiles snapped._

_“Calm down. This is ok. It’ll be ok. We will find the Djinn and fix it,” Allison attempted to soothe._

_“I’m sorry, am I supposed to be chill about being sent into some sort of alternate universe or into some other timeline by that stupid ass genie?!” Stiles flailed his arms._

_“You are never chill. So we don’t expect you to be. But we do expect you to collect yourself enough to help us figure this out,” Scott interjected. Stiles pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. He was trying to still his body and channel some sort of level of calm. The tattoo on his chest started faintly glowing and he felt warm all over._

_“Oh. It glows,” Erica noticed and lightly traced the center moon with her finger._

_“It means my mate is trying to find me. And I’m trying to find him. Supposed to glow like a beacon. Lets us know the other is alive or at least conscious,” Stiles choked out._

_“Your mate?” Derek cocked a brow._

_“Yea. My mate. Peter,” Stiles announced and tightened his arms around his body. Peter’s jaw dropped open and Lydia looked completely taken aback._

_“Repeat that, please?” Lydia clarified._

_“My. Mate,” he said through gritted teeth, “Peter. But I am guessing no such thing is occurring in this universe or…wait. What year is it? Maybe I was sent back in time or something?”_

_“We’ve travelled through time before. On accident. As usual. Because you pissed off a faerie. This seems like a contemporary situation. Its 2016 over here. What about you?” Lydia continued._

_“Its 2016 for me too,” Stiles deflated, “Can we go somewhere that’s not outside. I need to sit in a comfy chair and maybe drink copious amounts of alcohol. Then get back to where I’m from.”_

_“I concur,” Peter added and he stalked off without another word._

_The rest of them organized themselves and make their way to the pack house. Peter is already there when the rest arrive, Stiles rode with Scott and Allison. Peter was grumpily drinking whiskey in the kitchen and Derek gave him an annoyed look before taking off his jacket before sitting in the large chair at one end of the couch. Scott and Allison piled as a unit on the ouch with Isaac at the one end, Danny on the floor by his feet. Erica and Boyd sat on the floor near him, leaving a space in the middle for Stiles, Lydia, and Jackson. But Stiles went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of whiskey and sulked over to the couch. Peter watched him move with a defeated stance and worried about this person he had grown so used to being sassy and loud despite any potential danger or sadness lurking._

_“I have to ask, what is the other version of me like?” Lydia leaned her head on his shoulder while he sipped his drink._

_“Not dating Jackson, for starters. You broke up when you found him balls deep in Danny,” Stiles recalled and smiled when he remembered how the entire pack reacted to the dynamic change._

_“You’re not serious,” Jackson deadpanned._

_“Oh, I am,” he chuckled, “You and Lydia got in a fight about who knows what. Then she stormed out and you called Danny to vent. She came back a few hours later to find Danny bent over the couch and you giving him your all.”_

_“Then what did I do?” Lydia looked at Jackson with narrowed eyes._

_“Went and hate-fucked Derek. Obviously. None of us knew he would pop a knot though. That was quite the phone call,” Stiles added before downing his drink._

_“What?!” Lydia and Derek replied in unison._

_“Oh yea. You two are all mated and junk where I’m from; werewolf soulmates. Married too. The wedding was lovely. Irises everywhere. Twinkle lights all through the forest. Lydia wore Vera Wang and Derek had this tux that Lydia also picked out but I couldn’t possibly remember the designer. Peter was his best man. I was the man of honor. It was the perfect blend of the two of you,” Stiles warmed over and smirked into his glass._

_“Really?” Lydia whispered._

_“Yea. You wore your hair up. Little forget-me-nots tucked in. Lots of lace. Pretty sure you’ll be just as pretty here,” Stiles grinned. Derek was staring pensively at the wall and Lydia was worrying her lower lip. Jackson, on the other hand, looked like he was about to vomit._

_“Ok. Lydia and Derek are married in your timeline. What about me? Am I with Isaac or something?” Allison quirked._

_“You’re halfway right,” Stiles pursed his lips._

_“Halfway?” Scott wondered._

_“Oh yea. You, Allison, and Isaac have this poly thing going. And Danny is engaged to Jackson. Boyd and Erica have a kid,” Stiles offered._

_“I- what?” Scott’s mouth was hanging open like a dead fish._

_“From what I can tell things are very different here…” Stiles let his head fall back against the couch._

_“Ok, just to be clear; Derek is married to Lydia. Allison, Scott, and Isaac are in a polyamorous relationship, I’m dating Jackson, Erica and Boyd are together with a child, and you are with Peter?” Danny listed._

_“Yep. We’re getting married in 2 months,” Stiles lifted his hand to show the ring on his finger. That grabbed Peter’s attention more and he walked over to the couch, grabbing Stiles’ hand, to look over the ring._

_“This was my father’s,” he stated._

_“Yep. You had it re-sized after being sneaky and checking my ring size while I was sleeping,” Stiles shrugged. Peter dropped Stiles hand and stepped back. He surveyed the room and realized how unsettled everyone seemed. Derek and Lydia were avoiding looking at each other entirely while Danny was rigid on the floor. Allison was blushing like he’d never seen and Erica was twisting her face in contemplation._

_“Can we just get to figuring this out? I really, really, want to get back. I’m tactile as fuck and my mate is all too happy to indulge. I doubt I will be appeased here. Though, I’m sure Peter will still call me a brat,” Stiles hummed. At that Peter actually laughed and everyone seemed to relax._

_“I’ll grab your books,” Lydia rose from the couch and walked towards the library. Stiles got up too and poured himself another drink. Eventually Peter annoyed him to the point of storming out onto the porch, leaving the others to figure things out while he sulked._

 

**

Stiles was fidgeting in the kitchen while Peter poured a glass of scotch. Lydia was pouring over books while Derek pressed against her back and tried to drain the tension from her shoulders. Scott was pacing back and forth across the living room while Allison stroked Isaac’s hair. Danny was reading another book with Jackson handing him pens to mark passages that seemed relevant. Erica and Boyd were out tracking where the Djinn might have gone. Stiles had tried to focus on reading but the Stiles here took a different type of medication for his ADHD and he ultimately decided it would be better for his liver not to risk taking them. And Peter kept staring at him with an intensity that made Stiles on edge. More on edge, somehow.

                “Got it!” Lydia jumped and Derek smiled at her victory wiggle.

                “You’re adorable,” Derek whispered against her hair.

                “That is the weirdest thing ever,” Stiles noted as he watched them being affectionate with each other.

                “What?” Lydia cocked her head.

                “Derek being all…cuddly,” Stiles gestured.

                “He’s not in your timeline or whatever?” Lydia cocked her head.

                “Nope. He’s single, in fact. So is Peter. And me. Jackson is dating you. Danny is dating Isaac. And Scott is dating Allison,” Stiles finally stopped to lean against the wall and slid to the floor.

                “Jackson doesn’t have any latent, homosexual urges in your weird, alternate reality?” Danny laughed.

                “We haven’t exactly discussed it, but I don’t think so. But I think I saw him – you – giving Isaac the old elevator eyes when you were drunk last time. So, maybe,” Stiles smirked.

                “You’d be lucky to have me,” Isaac sassed.

                “I don’t share,” Danny smacked his ass as Isaac crossed the room.

                “ _That_ I’m used to,” Stiles remarked.

                “Nim, what were you doing when the Djinn attacked you?” Peter asked.

                “What did you just call me?” Stiles gaped.

                “Nim. I have the sole pleasure of calling you that,” Peter leaned forward on the counter and smiled softly at the boy on the floor.

                “No one calls me that. I don’t think anyone even knows my real name,” Stiles scrunched up his nose.

                “That’s not true. We all do. It’s just hard to say,” Scott mumbled.

                “Back to the important stuff, I found this,” Lydia shoved the book in Stiles’ face. “Its a spell that could summon a djinn, maybe not the exact same one. But it’s a start. I bet we can find another spell to hone in on the one we want.”

                “He still hasn’t answered my question,” Peter interrupted.

                “I was also running from a Djinn. Obviously,” Stiles snarked.

                “As much as I enjoy your attitude, it is not helpful,” Peter raised a brow, “Was your Djinn the same as ours?”

                “Seeing as I don’t know which yours was I can’t really answer your question,” Stiles rolled his eyes.

                “I swear to – “

                “It’s 2013 all over again, oh my god,” Allison cut off Peter.

                “Just go cuddle-fuck or whatever it is you two do,” Jackson spat.

                “Then you’ll be productive again,” Scott grumbled into his hands.

                “What?” Stiles grimaced.

                “Oh yea. You two,” Lydia looked between Stiles and Peter, “Manage to be louder than Derek. And Isaac over there. Whenever you fought like this before any of us knew for sure you were fucking you would throw fits and both stalk off somewhere and apparently you would just angrily bone each other. Then you’d rejoin the group more focused and unbearably more chummy.”

                “Are you for real right now?” Stiles perplexed in amazement.

                “Yes. You’re mates. Just like Lydia and I are,” Derek confirmed.

                “Mates,” Stiles repeated.

                “Yep. In fact, I remember you confirming as much for me when you – or our Stiles – got super drunk and basically waxed poetic about Peter’s knot,” Lydia laughed. Stiles pit out his scotch and looked at Peter with pink cheeks.

                “I – in my weird, alternate timeline Peter and I tolerate each other. Pretty sure he hates me though. Just the other day he stole the blanket I was sleeping under on the couch – while I was sleeping, I might add – and he put it on his own bed. Caught him all wrapped up in it later. He’s just a jerk for no reason,” Stiles presented. Peter just started laughing, almost hysterically. Derek joined in and wrapped his arms around Lydia. Scott scoffed and gave Stiles the most incredulous look he’d ever seen.

                “Why is that so funny to you people? Is this universe jerkier than the one I’m from?” Stiles shot.

                “You’re just as obtuse as my Stiles,” Peter was still giggling.

                “And his Peter sounds just in line with how you were a few years ago. All gruff and rough edges,” Lydia reminded.

                “Answers. Give me answers, friend doppelgangers!” Stiles ordered.

                “He’s stealing the blanket because it smells like you,” Peter expressed.

                “No,” Stiles glared.

                “Yes,” Peter replied.

                “No way,” Stiles sneered.

                “Yes. I used to do that all the time. Then, when he wasn’t in his room, I would lie on his bed so it smelled like me. I was marking my territory,” Peter grinned.

                “Creeperwolf, indeed,” Stiles got up to get another drink, but Peter stopped him.

                “I think you’re good on the scotch,” Peter coaxed the glass away.

                “I spit out the last glass, so it doesn’t count,” Stiles countered.

                “You don’t even like scotch,” Peter continued to argue.

                “I do. Your Stiles must not like it,” Stiles ripped his hand and way and stormed into the living room. He was scowling in a way that rivaled Derek on his worst day.

                “Let’s just refocus. We’ll conjure a Djinn and go from there,” Allison redirected. Stiles looked around the room and went to sit in the windowsill and sipped on his drink, shooting a glare at Peter every now and again. Isaac and Allison were gearing up while Danny rubbed Jackson’s shoulders. Peter had walked out onto the back porch and slammed the door behind him. Stiles just clenched his fists and tried to stay calm. He had been becoming gradually more tense and angry. He wasn’t sure where the anger was coming from exactly, he was upset with being thrust headlong into some absurd reality, but that wasn’t what was bothering him. His chest hurt. He was glancing around this pack house at all his friends, and they were…whole. They felt fractured lately back home, but he was confronted with a possibility of warmth and togetherness they hadn’t had in awhile. And he had a mate. He was alone back home.

 

**

                _“Where is Stiles?” Lydia asked from where she was shoving the books into her bag._

_“He went out onto the porch. He – he smells really sad,” Derek shrugged._

_“I’ll go see him,” Allison shot a look at Peter before grabbing a throw from the couch. It was cold outside and she was sure Stiles was trying to maintain an allure of control and outrage enough that he wouldn’t come inside to find something to keep warm. When she stepped out onto the porch she found Stiles sitting on the floor with his back to the house and knees pulled up to his chest._

_“Hi,” she smiled and draped the blanket over his legs and cuddled up next to him._

_“Hi, Ally,” Stiles sighed._

_“How are you feeling?” she leaned her head on his shoulder._

_“Weird. Sad. Scared,” he listed._

_“What are you afraid of? No one here is going to hurt you,” Allison squeezed his hand._

_“I’m afraid I won’t get sent back. What if we never figure it out? I’m – we’re getting married. Soon. And Lydia needs me. She’s pregnant. I think Derek is the only other person that knows for sure already. I’m her breathing partner and I make sure she gets all her weird junk food. Derek keeps trying to make her eat raw meat. So we’ve come to a compromise,” he laughed a little, “And what if something happens? Peter needs me. I’m his anchor. And if I’m gone too long he could go feral and – I’m just scared.” Stiles was crying now. Hot tears pooled in the corners of his eyes and ran down his cheeks. Allison wiped them away and pulled him closer._

_“We will figure it out. I promise. Isaac and Boyd are already out getting everything we need to summon the Djinn. How about you just let me distract you. Tell me how the whole poly thing with me and Scott and Isaac ended up happening? Because that is interesting to me,” Allison beamed._

_“It was a surprise for all of us, let me tell you,” Stiles grinned, “So, during our senior year of high school you and Scott had a break up. Because of your dad mostly. Your mom had just died and he was just out of his mind with grief and anger. He got in a fight with Scott and you took your dad’s side. It was messy and terrible but you and Scott broke up. Then you hooked up with Isaac at a party and started dating casually. Scott was a kicked puppy for 2 months. Then, one day, we all went to this rager near the community college. You and Isaac were still seeing each other and I was there with Scott, Lydia, Jackson and Danny. Scott saw you and Isaac go up to one of the rooms and he had enough liquid courage to go up and confront you. Cliff notes version from this point on, because it’s decidedly R-rated; Scott stormed in and pulled Isaac off of you. Isaac shoved Scott. Scott and Isaac wrestled around on the bed until it went from manly fighting to dry humping. You tried to pull them apart. Then they pinned you to the bed together and…we could hear you all from downstairs. Then you guys just became a thing. Took a little getting used to. And when we all moved in together I had to get used to seeing Scott getting blown by your other blonde boyfriend in the bathroom. That was a morning…”_

_“Wow,” Allison’s brow furrowed._

_“What?” Stiles gave her a light shove._

_“Well, some of that did happen. Scott and I broke up and I did date Isaac. But Danny is the one who interfered with any potential fight between Scott and Isaac. Then Danny and Isaac started becoming a thing and I just edged out. I went back to Scott,” she explained._

_“Hmmm, seems like there are just small differences between our timelines,” Stiles tugged the blanket tighter around them, “You guys are all at least happy right?”_

_“Yea. I mean, I like the idea of a buffer sometimes. And it might be really hot to see Scott and Isaac together,” she laughed, “Lydia and Derek are a bit of a surprise though.”_

_“Oh yea. That was definitely out of leftfield. But they work. They’re pretty balanced. I’ve never seen them happier,” Stiles twirled Allison’s hair between his fingers and Lydia was joining them on the porch._

_“How is everyone out here?” Lydia sat on the other side of Stiles and slid under the blanket._

_“Good. Stiles was just telling me about how I ended up in a polyamorous relationship in our other timeline,” Allison smirked._

_“Mmmm. I might pay to see that,” the red head giggled, “Of course, my boyfriend is dating his best friend and I might also pay to see that.”_

_“I’m telling Derek that alternate you likes to watch boys together,” he teased._

_“Do it,” Lydia sighed, “I am curious as to what that would be like. Being with Derek. The more I think about it the more I realize him and I aren’t really that close. But over there we’re married.”_

_“And having a baby,” Allison added._

_“No way,” Lydia gasped._

_“Yep. Due in 7 months. It’s a secret though,” Stiles nudged her._

_“I’m having a baby,” Derek was hovering in the doorway, staring at the trio but kept focusing in on Lydia._

_“Yea. Just last night you tried to get Lydia to eat a raw steak and she would only agree to it if you also got her chocolate cake. Then you fell asleep in a disgusting pile of love and cuddles on the couch. You kept whispering to her tummy like a weirdo,” he shot up an eyebrow. Derek was pensive, Lydia was blushing and looking at her hands._

_“Uh oh. I think you opened up the floodgates to weirdness…” Allison glanced back and forth between the wolf and banshee._

_“How?” Stile staged whispered._

_“Jackson told Lydia he never wants to have kids. And Derek…has been trying to find a mate and said having kids would strengthen our pack,” she said quietly. Derek snapped his jaw shut and took off towards the treeline._

_“Derek,” Allison called out after him._

_“I’ll go,” Lydia rose._

_“What?” Stiles and Allison replied._

_“I dunno. I feel weird. He’s feeling weird. We might as well talk about it,” Lydia buttoned up her sweater and took off after him, her boots barely making an impression in the grass._

_“What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on that wall. Or tree. Or whatever,” Allison groaned._

_“I am equally interested in what’s going to happen between those two. I mean, whether its my timeline or yours, it’s a fun and unusual pairing,” Stiles peered out at the woods where Lydia and Derek had disappeared._

_“I should see if Scott and Isaac want to have a three-way…” Allison mused. Stiles laughed loud and hard._

_“Can I be there when you ask?” he kept laughing._

_“Who do you think will get more red?” she kept smiling._

_“Scott. For sure,” Stiles proclaimed._

_“Wanna go back inside? See how much progress has been made? Without Lydia or you involved then I’m not sure they’re doing so hot in there,” Allison suggested._

_“Sure. As long as you guys have some coffee I can actually help now instead of being panicky. I just wish the version of me here took the same meds. I can’t imagine how my Peter is handling an un-medicated me. I mean, the man loves me but since he can’t exactly grumpily cuddle me or shut me up with his mouth then he’s going to be equally insufferable,” he waggled his eyebrows and followed Allison back into the house. Jackson was reading on the couch next to Danny while Peter was brooding on the windowsill pouring over a book as well. Scott was nowhere to be seen and neither was Isaac. Erica was painting her nails and Boyd seemed to be outside in the front, having returned with any supplies they needed._

_“Where’s Derek?” Danny asked._

_“Scowling. Probably,” Stiles sat at the counter and started brewing some coffee while sorting through the notes Lydia had taken._

_“And Lydia?” Jackson added._

_“Watching Derek scowl,” Stiles stirred his coffee, “He did what Derek does best, what with his emotional constipation, and Lydia took off after him because I apparently made it weird. Weirder.”_

_“You have that in common with our Stiles,” Peter snorted from where he sat._

_“Hey, you don’t get to sass me. You’re not my fiancé,” Stiles took a drink and grinned at the older man._

_“Depending on how you feel about paradoxes, I am your fiancé. But I’m still sassing you regardless,” Peter bit the inside of his cheek._

_“Deaton is here. And he has everything we need. Apparently we just need to wait until sunrise,” Boyd walked in through the front and Stiles could see Deaton through the window._

_“Great. Is your Deaton as cryptic as mine?” Stiles walked across the living room._

_“Yes,” everyone droned._

 

                _Derek was hanging from a tree branch doing pull-ups and trying to process the increasingly complex feelings he was experiencing. He was happily married and soon to be a father in some alternate reality. It hurt to think about. When he dropped down from the branch he had to keep himself from punching the tree._

_“Do I need to call you sourwolf too?” Lydia sassed as she entered the clearing where Derek was hiding out._

_“I probably won’t hit you like I do Stiles,” he mumbled and rolled his shoulders._

_“Should we talk about how weird it is that there’s a version of you and I out there picking out baby clothes?” Lydia looked him right in the eyes._

_“I don’t see the point,” he deflected._

_“Of course you don’t. You’d much rather be alone and the idea of babies crawling all over you probably isn’t appealing. But – I don’t know – its just incredibly strange and I feel off thinking about it things are just – I have a genius IQ and I can’t even think of the words for what I’m feeling right now,” she rambled._

_“First off, I don’t hate babies. They’ve done nothing to warrant any disdain. And I also don’t want to be alone. Its just easier to be alone than to find someone to put up with all of this,” he relented. Derek leaned back against the tree and slowly moved to sit. Lydia watched him and took his jacket off the nearby rock and placed it down on the ground to sit next to him. He raised a questioning brow at her and she just rolled her eyes._

_“I already ruined one pair of jeans today, these will stay safe. My wardrobe suffers enough around you wolves,” she tucked her legs under her body and Derek gave the tiniest smirk._

_“We’ve never spent any time one-on-one together. I’m just now realizing that,” he closed his eyes._

_“Why would you want to spend time alone with me? I’m not Stiles or Peter or even Scott. I’m a banshee. Not exactly an important member of the pack. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t even be around that much if it weren’t for the insistence of our emissary,” she hypothesized._

_“That’s not true,” Derek balked, “You are important. Everyone is important. Now I feel like a shitty alpha for not making that clear.”_

_“I’m not exactly high on the priority list, Derek,” she hummed. He watched her lips twitch and saw a lock of hair slip out of her loose bun. Until this situation with Stiles and learning about his other life he never really looked at her. And he has been missing out._

_“What?” she looked at him._

_“Just – what are you thinking about?” Derek pressed._

_“What being pregnant would be like. And wondering very much what a knot feels like, actually,” she giggled and hide her smile behind her hand._

_“You’ve never – with Jackson?” Derek sought._

_“Nope. I know it happens and its supposed to be a big deal. Mates and all that. I know Jackson isn’t mine but I guess I never really thought about anyone else. It was always Jackson. Except for that one time I kissed Scott. And all those years Stiles was after me. And when nothing like that ever happened with Jackson afterwards…I guess I just stopped thinking about it. Or was in denial. Really doesn’t matter, I guess…” she trailed off._

_“You don’t have to be mates to be happy. Peter and his late wife weren’t mates and they were still wonderful together. But apparently Stiles is his mate and isn’t that just the weirdest fucking thing out of all of this,” Derek puzzled._

_“He’s 12 years older than Stiles,” she laughed._

_“Well, you and I are a thing in some other universe and I’m 7 years older,” he countered._

_“Semantics,” she laughed._

_“Danny and Jackson makes sense to me,” Derek added._

_“Kinda does for me too, actually,” she let her head rest on Derek’s shoulder._

_“Do you think alternate version us is having a girl or a boy?” he asked quietly._

_“Hmmm, I bet it’s a girl. She can have your green eyes but I insist on the red hair,” she sighed._

_“If she was a wolf she’d probably be red too then,” she thought, “I bet you hyphenated. You’re probably Martin-Hale.”_

_“Damn right,” Lydia started laughing broadly and fell harder against Derek. He brought his arms up over his head and she was right against his side, her head against his collar bone._

_“I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to you,” Derek observed._

_“You aren’t exactly approachable,” she snorted and turned her face to look up at him and found him staring at her with intent. Her smile softened and, without any hesitation, Derek brought his lips to hers. Her breath hitched as soon as their lips touched and a second later she moaned into the contact. She turned her whole body to face him and found him biting her lower lip. His arms circled around her body and she climbed fully into his lap. He pulled her even closer and their chests were flushed. She ran her tongue along his lips and they parted. Open-mouthed they ran their tongues together. One of his hands drifted down to cup her ass and she started rolling her hips against his. He groaned and thrust up against her before a deep growl rumbled in his chest. Both pulled back and looked hard at each other. Both had pink and swollen lips, she had slight beard burn on her chin and both were taking deep breaths._

_“Derek! Lydia! Deaton is here! Come back to the house!” they both heard Erica call out._

_“I – we – “ Lydia stammered._

_“This is…we should go in…but this…” Derek was gazing at her hazel eyes._

_“Yea,” she just nodded and kissed him one more time before reluctantly standing up. They brushed themselves off and walked back to the house. Lydia walked several paces in front of Derek and he fought a grin most of the way back._

 

**

                Peter was pissed. He was pacing back and forth on the porch. He needed his Stiles back. His wolf was anxious and circling angrily so Peter was too. The other Stiles sitting in the living room was sending him over the edge. His eyes kept flashing and he was itching to run in the woods. But he needed to stick around in case they needed him. In case this Stiles did. But so far he had been nothing but cold and dismissive. He kept tracing his fingers across the tattoo on his rib cage and watching it glow in return. His mate was still alive and thinking about him in return. That he could hold onto. Allison was walking out onto the porch with a hot tea with whiskey in it and placed it in Peter’s hands.

                “So, things are tense,” Allison sat in the rocking chair at the end of the porch and watched Peter twitch and slowly sip his tea.

                “Thank you,” he said softly.

                “You’re welcome,” she grinned, “Now, tell me how close you are to feeling feral. And don’t lie to me.”

                “I can feel it under the surface, but its far enough away it isn’t a threat. A week at least,” Peter huffed.

                “Deaton called. So did my dad. They’re summoning the Djinn at dawn tomorrow and we should be able to fix this. Apparently, people switching timelines is a bad – very bad – thing for Djinns. While it might be a fun trick for them temporarily they can’t let it be permanent. I guess it upsets some greater cosmic balance. So you can probably rest assured that your mate will be back soon,” Allison informed.

                “While I t does ease my worry my wolf is still howling. Stiles is gone but also here and its confused and hurt. It wants to drag that boy into our bed and mark him up. Fuck him too. But I’m guessing he wouldn’t be particularly willing based on how he is treating me,” Peter revealed.

                “Sounds familiar,” Allison looked out at the trees. She didn’t like seeing Peter like this. It was too reminiscent of him when he was unhinged and on the brink of madness.

                “Apparently I need to apologize to you,” Stiles complained from the doorway.

                “Lydia?” Allison tilted her head.

                “None other. I guess I shouldn’t be acting like this just because I’m confused and upset. That I need to consider how hard this is for you,” Stiles looked genuinely apologetic.

                “I’ll let you two talk. I’m going to find Scott and Isaac and insist on affection. No fighting,” she finally went back inside and Stiles moved to lean on the rail in front of Peter.

                “How are you feeling?” the boy asked.

                “Not ideal. My wolf is desperate to bed you right now. It’s very confused as to how you look like our mate but smell nothing like him,” he answered and Stiles’ eyes shot wide open at the information, “I’ll keep myself composed. Do not worry. Even feral I am unlikely to force you into anything.”

                “Noted. I’m curious though. How did…we happen? I mean, in my universe we don’t like each other much at all. You seem to hate me even on the best days. You snap at everyone and are constantly challenging Derek. Here, everyone just works. Everything seems fully functional and the dynamics are smooth. Your Deaton is just as vague and infuriating though,” Stiles shrugged.

                “You and I were a process. One that was worn from frustration and lust,” Peter began.

                “Promising,” Stiles laughed.

                “You started it,” Peter pursed his lips and took a long drink.

                “I did not,” Stiles argued.

                “Oh, darling, you did. We were in this house, fresh from a battle with a wendigo. You nearly got yourself killed. We were bloody and raw. Everyone else was gone and you kept antagonizing me while I tended to your wounds. You kept fidgeting and I basically had to pin you to the counter in the bathroom and even when I was done I had to manhandle you into the damn shower. Struggling the whole time like a petulant child. Then you decided to play with fire and tease me with those fucking lips of yours and wiggling your ass in front of me like it was no big deal,” Peter continued and took a few more steps closer to Stiles, “You kept biting your lower lip and looking up at me with those honey colored eyes and pink cheeks. Then you stepped out of the shower, dried off, and put on _my_ shirt. Then climbed into _my_ bed. Insisting you’d sleep better with someone else around. Of course, I placated you. I almost always do. We fell asleep and I woke up to you rubbing your hips against mine. Then you rolled over and started bucking up against the mattress and moaning into the pillow. It was too much. I ripped your underwear off with my claws and you – you just turned and smiled at me before climbing onto my lap. You were such a little tease and such a vixen, I couldn’t help myself. We ended up fucking until somewhere like 5am. I had knotted you something like 3 times in that frame and we didn’t discuss it. Then we fell back asleep. It became a pattern, us getting upset with one another and fucking our way through it instead of talking. But then we got softer. I started scent marking you every chance I got. Stealing your blankets and sleeping in your bed, you’d steal my clothes and leave your smell all over them. We would cuddle on the couch and one day, after a bad fight with a rival alpha, I made my intentions clear. That night I gave you to mating bond and we’ve been together ever since. That was...2 and a half years ago.”

                “Wow,” Stiles gaped at him, “Romantic.”

                “Oh? Did you want roses and poetry?” Peter rolled his eyes.

                “I’ve never been one for convention. But I am surprised. Did you at least make a grand gesture of proposing? Was I swept off my feet?” Stiles joked.

                “You certainly were. You wore that red hooded sweatshirt that I like. The one with the thumbholes. We went out to the preserve and you coaxed me into chasing you. I think you were trying to indulge in some Little Red Riding Hood fantasy, of which I was eager to comply. I shifted and chased you for about 10 minutes. You kept shooting bolts of light at me and covered your scent so it was harder to track you. But I still found you. I always do. I tackled you in the field of rosemary and shifted back. We ended up rolling around and kissing, peeling off all of your clothes as well. Then I threw you over my shoulder and took you back to the house, we were very close. I lit candles and made you dinner. We pretty much stayed naked. When I brought out the dinner you gave me that smile that I love so much,” Peter had to still him from stroking Stiles’ cheek, “I couldn’t help myself again and got the ring out of where I had hidden it. I asked you to marry me and you said yes. We had sex in front of the fire, terribly cliché, and then cuddled until we finally ate the dinner I prepared.”

                “What was the dinner?” Stiles narrowed his eyes.

                “I made you homemade, deep dish pizza; sausage, peppers, onions, and that hot sauce you generally insist on. With garlic oil drizzle. Even good reheated,” Peter smiled.

                “I don’t see how I could say no to that,” the boy chuckled.

                “Lucky for me, you didn’t,” Peter closed his eyes and took a deep breath before putting his cup down.

                “I am sorry. I’m not him. And I know you’d rather he were here,” Stiles was fidgeting with his sleeves and trying not to look at Peter.

                “It is not your fault….not really. It would cruel for me to blame your clumsiness,” Peter tried to break the tension.

                “You could – if you wanted – we could sit close on the couch. I know it’ll make your wolf feel better. You could scent mark too. It would make my Peter all sorts of confused and possibly angry when I go back,” Stiles snickered.

                “Still a brat,” Peter sighed and pushed him forward into the house, his hand firm against the small of Stiles’ back. Inside the living room had been converted to a much more calm and cozy environment. The ottomans had been pulled up the couch, essentially turning it into a wide bed. Derek was at one end with Lydia resting between his legs. Her head was back against his chest while he toyed with her hair. At the other end Isaac sat with Scott on his left, Allison sprawled across both of them. Erica and Boyd were sitting deep in the loveseat on the other side of the room. Jackson and Danny were in a nest of pillows in front. There was space in the center of the couch for Peter and Stiles. The tv was queued up to watch some movie and Stiles felt warm all over as he looked at the scene. Peter made his way to the center of the couch and held out his hand to Stiles. He hesitantly accepted it and laid down next to Peter and let himself be wrapped up by the wolf. Peter kept pressing his face into the back of Stiles’ neck and scenting him. Stiles let him. Stiles found himself jealous of himself if this was a regular occurrence; wrapped up with a mate on the couch surrounded by a loving and close pack. Of course, he didn’t expect Peter to rub against his ass every now and again, but he wasn’t complaining. This was the best way to wait for dawn.

 

**

                _Lydia was standing at one edge of the kitchen island while drying off some silverware. Derek was stationed on the other wise of the kitchen, trying not to look at Lydia. Stiles was in the middle of the couch reading the book Deaton left. Allison was on the other side dozing on Scott, Jackson was sitting next to Danny by the window as they looked over some pages in a training manual. Peter wandered into the kitchen to grab something to eat when he walked passed Lydia. He took a deep breath and paused right behind her. He leaned forward and whispered against her ear, “Dear, can I speak with you upstairs?”_

_“Uh, yea,” Lydia replied and followed Peter. Derek eyed them as they left, an eyebrow cocked, everyone else seemed to ignore them. Once they were on the top floor Peter guided her into one of the bathrooms._

_“Care to explain to me why you reek of Derek?” Peter tested._

_“We – it was an accident. I tripped. He helped me up and carried me,” Lydia tempted._

_“No idea why you thought lying would be remotely appropriate,” Peter sighed._

_“Fine. Maybe Stiles got into our heads. In that other timeline or whatever Derek and I are married. And having a baby. Turns out we both want kids and just thinking about the other us…we kissed,” Lydia finally revealed._

_“Something we can figure out later, I’m sure. You should shower though. If Jackson smells Derek all over you then conflict will arise. While I don’t generally shy from it we can’t deal with our current problem while that is going on,” Peter pinched his brow._

_“First off, Jackson is not possessive. Not even remotely. Last time we all went out to a bar Stiles and I started dancing and several guys were very handsy with me. Jackson didn’t bat an eye. He barely cares. But I will take a shower so we don’t have to worry about anything,” Lydia pulled at her own hair._

_“Perhaps he is just very secure in his relationship with you that he doesn’t worry about other men’s attention,” Peter offered._

_“You’re a wolf. So is he. You know that no matter how secure you are that you don’t want anyone else touching your mate. But Jackson and I aren’t mates. I know that. He knows that. We’re just…biding time. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. I’m going to take a shower now. So you can leave and judge me elsewhere,” Lydia said in defeat. Peter wanted to comfort her but knew better of it. He left the bathroom and went to his study on the second floor. He needed to clear his head, just like the rest of the pack did. Stiles was a force. A catalyst. And Peter felt caught up in a storm._

_Lydia was letting the hot water cascade down her back. She felt sad. Alone. She also still felt the heat of Derek’s hands on her body and wished they were still there. Jackson had never made her feel that way; so raw. She dragged a washcloth across her stomach when she heard the bathroom door open and close again._

_“If you’re here to lecture me, Peter, you can do so when I’m dressed,” she shot. Before she could cover herself she found Derek, now nude, stepping into the shower. He was raking his eyes up and down her body, pupils blown and the alpha red nearly gone. Lydia bit her lip and didn’t move to hide her form._

_“Derek?” she whispered. Derek growled, reached up to grab her by the hair and dragged her mouth to his. Their lips crashed together with immediacy and need. He pressed her back against the shower wall and let his other hand grip her hip. She moaned into his mouth and went pliant against him. He let go of her hair and parted her legs with his knee. He rubbed against her and let out another growl. She spread her legs more and he lifted her so she wrapped herself around him. He let his hard cock brush against her opening as they rolled their hips together._

_“I – can I?” Derek moaned out as he kneaded her flesh in his hands._

_“God, yes,” she demanded and had to bite her own tongue to keep from screaming as he slid deep inside her. He thrust up into her with determined precision and licked up her neck. She was falling apart as Derek drove into her more and more. She kept clenching around him and felt like she was trying to pull him deep inside. Derek pulled her back from the wall and sat back on the bench built into the shower. She started riding him and bouncing on his cock. He captured one of her nipples in his mouth and rolled it between his teeth, His tongue circling it and trying to push her over the edge. She sped up her hips and felt her orgasm building. She was so close and whimpered when Derek bite down on her breast. He grabbed a globe of her ass once more and gave it a tight squeeze and she came. He stole the sound from her mouth by kissing her again, drowning out the sounds of her ecstasy and felt his own end coming. He pulled her sensitive body against him and felt himself empty inside her. He felt swelling at the base of his cock and he gasped. Lydia felt it too and ground down against it, she was being overstimulated again and she didn’t care. She clung to Derek’s shoulders and let the knot settle inside. She squeezed around it and watched Derek struggle to breath as she worked him over. She caught his breath and kissed him again._

_“I knotted you,” he bit at her earlobe._

_“You did,” she murmured and rotated her hips lightly and listened to his heart beat against her chest, “What does that mean?”_

_“We both know what it means,” he whispered and brought his lips to hers again._

_“So, uh, how long until this goes down?” she giggled._

_“I’ve never done this before so I have no idea,” he smiled, “Does it hurt?”_

_“No. Feels really, really good,” she slowly rotated her hips and pulled another small orgasm out of herself. She threw her head back and rode it out while Derek held her hips and watched. He felt the tight heat around his dick and gave small thrust upwards, as much as his knot would allow. They pressed their foreheads together and tried to catch their breaths. They lazily kissed under the steady stream of warm water, they managed to grab the shampoo and soap, laughing and smiling as they washed each other as the knot slowly went down. They kept trailing fingers and exploring skin while they processed this new development. They eventually pried themselves away from one another and dried themselves off. Lydia put her jeans back on but ended up draping Derek’s shirt across her shoulders and pulled it tight to her body. Derek smiled and made no move to take his shirt back. Once they were ready they stepped out of the bathroom to find Peter looking chagrinned._

_“This is exactly the opposite of what I asked you to do,” Peter huffed._

_“It’s complicated,” Derek replied and held Lydia._

_“Clearly,” Peter grunted, “Mates or not, this is not something we can have distracting us. Both of you go to Derek’s room or something and stay out of sight until we figure this out.”_

_“We hardly have to hide,” Lydia crossed her arms and tilted her head._

_“Oh? You two practically smell like a whorehouse and there’s no way to mask Derek’s scent on you. Or in you. Did you even bother with a condom?” Peter continued._

_Derek and Lydia froze._

_“Of course not,” Peter hissed, “Just go. I’ll come up with some sort of explanation. You’re lucky Jackson is thick-headed.” Both slowly walked down to Derek’s room and shut the door. “And keep your hands to yourselves,” Peter scoffed._

_He was, to say the least, almost entirely flabbergasted by this turn of events. He didn’t really take Lydia seriously at first, about Stiles getting into their heads, but what just transpired is very much out of character for both Derek and Lydia. He wondered if they could just blame the Djinn for it. Peter stalked down to the second floor and passed his study to go to his bedroom. He was surprised to be confronted with Stiles standing in front of Peter’s closet and pulling on his favorite sweater. The spark’s hair was sticking up wildly as he pulled his head through the neck of the shirt. He just watched for a minute as Stiles was tugging at the sleeves and burying himself deeper in the fabric._

_“Raiding my closet?” Peter leaned against the doorframe._

_“Sorry. My spark is jumping all over the place without my mate. Thought this might help. Whenever he goes away for any length of time and I cannot come with he will leave behind a sweater that he wore for a day or two. That way I can smell him and it makes me feel better. If he didn’t do that then I would just stay in our bed all day. I’ll put it back. Sorry, again,” he started to peel the shirt back off but Peter stopped him._

_“No. I understand. You can wear it. Can’t say I’m terribly familiar with the feeling, “But I won’t prevent you from finding comfort.” Stiles smiled and felt a tingle in his chest. He looked down the shirt to find the smallest moons faintly glowing purple. The light could be seen through the shirt and Peter furrowed his eyebrows._

_“Oh. Seems my Peter is giving some comfort to your Stiles. I wonder if I should be jealous or not…” he laughed._

_“What?” Peter quirked and Stiles lifted the shirt to show Peter the entire glowing display on his chest._

_“It means, essentially, that he’s horny. And that we’re touching,” he revealed._

_“Are they having sex?” Peter flashed his eyes and rumbled in his throat._

_“Nah. If sex were happening the entire cycle would be lit up and faintly blue or white. They’re probably just cuddling or something. But Peter is getting lusty. As he usually does. You dropped your fangs, by the way,” Stiles observed,” Creeperwolf.” Peter snapped his mouth shut and turned his head. Stiles tried not to laugh at him because it was adorable, but he knew Peter well enough not to poke._

_“You caused a hurricane between Derek and Lydia,” Peter redirected._

_“They had sex, I take it?” Stiles replied with no hint of surprise._

_“Yes. And now this pack will become even more chaotic and dispersed,” Peter complained._

_“No. It won’t. They’re mates. True mates. Our pack was a disjointed mess until the alpha took his mate. Everything fell into place. Jackson and Danny were true mates too, I might add. Then you and I finally accepted what we were instead of just fucking and letting you knot me for hours on end. Maybe you didn’t want to be with some spastic kid 12 years younger than you, but you still told me you loved me and asked me to marry you. Accept the butterfly effect that’s happening,” Stiles confronted._

_“I don’t hate you or the fact that you’re spastic. You just drive me insane,” Peter groaned._

_“Awww, even you have a soft spot for lil ole me,” Stiles teased._

_“Stop it,” Peter tensed, “You should go talk to Derek and Lydia. They are probably going out of their minds right now and I thank heavens that Jackson is as dim as he is blonde.”_

_“Oh. I am not going up there. If I know anything we are just going to walk in on Derek going down on Lydia because it is definitely his favorite thing to do and you left them alone after him knotting her for the first time. No thanks,” Stiles snickered._

_“Hormone-addled children,” Peter grumbled._

_“You are not one to talk. You rimmed me in the kitchen once even though you knew the pack was coming back soon. Trying to mark your territory after watching me dance at a club. Shameless, kinky man. So possessive,” Stiles taunted and turned to leave the room._

_“I – you – “ Peter stumbled and followed Stiles down to the living room with everyone else. Allison suggested watching a movie and the rest of the pack seemed to agree. No one even asked where Derek and Lydia were. Allison settled on one end of the couch with Scott. Isaac, surprisingly, sat next to them. Erica sat in the loveseat and Boyd sat on a pile of pillows at her feet. Danny sat on the floor by Isaac and Jackson next to him. Stiles sat on the other end of the couch and held his hand out to Peter. He rolled his eyes and sat next to the boy. Peter pretended not to pull Stiles’ scent into his nose as he let their bodies press against each other while they watched the movie._

_**_

                Peter was slowly waking up and felt the warm heat of his mate next to him. Well, not his mate. But it was Stiles. He buried his face back in Stiles’ neck and took a deep breath. He couldn’t stop himself from running his nose across the skin and dragging his lips. He pressed light kisses and fought not to bite down on the unmarked flesh. There was no mating bond there and it was driving his wolf a little mad. He realized Derek and Lydia had likely gone up to bed. Allison, Scott, and Isaac were gone too. Erica and Boyd were still on the loveseat, but dead to the world. Danny and Jackson seemed to have moved clear to the other side of the room and could hardly be seen under all the blankets and pillows they were nesting in. He glanced up at the clock and saw it read 3:47am. Dawn was in a few hours and he knew he should do something to help the pack along. He didn’t want to let go of Stiles but he knew he should get up and probably brew some coffee. He also knew there were 2 frozen, breakfast casseroles in the freezer he could heat up. Stiles and Scott had made them, using Melissa’s recipe. One was spicy beyond reason, practically painful to eat. The other was mild and savory. He turned on the oven to pre-heat and flipped on the coffee pot.

                He turned his back to the living room and looks at all the pictures on the fridge and walls in the kitchen. There several wedding photos of Derek and Lydia. He had never seen his nephew smile more. There was a group photo of the pack and one of just Peter and Stiles dancing in their tuxedos. He remembered how Stiles made Peter dance to more than 6 songs, some slow and some fast. By the end of the night he had drank so much champaign he was surprised Stiles was even standing. Peter had carried him back to their hotel room – the entire pack decided to give Derek and Lydia the pack house for a week knowing Derek’s wolf would be happier nesting in their home. Stiles was a giggly mess as Peter undressed him and put him to bed. They cuddled all night until the next morning. Stiles was definitely hungover so Peter took his pain away and Stiles thanked him by riding him until both were so exhausted they fell back asleep. His chest ached. It had only been a day but he missed his mate. Stiles stirred on the couch and awoke to the smell of coffee. He sleepily wandered over to the kitchen and saw Peter pensively staring at pictures.

                “Hi,” Stiles yawned with a smile. Peter turned and smiled back, without thinking, he pulled Stiles into his arms and pressed a kiss to his jaw. He tensed when he realized his mistake.

                “Oh, I apologize,” Peter relinquished Stiles and took a step back.

                “No. Its ok. It’s an honest mistake. Its not like I’m not an exact copy of your mate,” he blushed.

                “Fiancé. Mate. Partner. All those words that mean the same thing. I will try harder to keep appropriate boundaries. But my wolf is…being very insistent,” Peter relaxed.

                “I know. But it’ll be dawn soon. If we’re lucky the Djinn will just reverse the switcheroo and we’ll all be back where we belong. I am, however, going to smell like you and that will be fun to watch everyone wrap their heads around,” the younger man chuckled. Peter grinned and shuddered. He lifted his shirt to reveal his tattoo. _Meonenim Rajmund Stilinksi –_ was written across the curve of Peter’s rib cage. It was faintly glowing a light purple.

                “That bastard,” Peter sighed, “He is probably just being a tease.”

                “You have my entire name tattooed on you? And why is it glowing? And why is there a dash at the end?” Stiles perplexed.

                “Firstly, I have it tattooed there because I wanted it. You have one of my name as well. It has a dash at the end to add ‘Hale’ after we wed. And its glowing purple because he’s aroused. That vixen,” Peter explained, tracing his fingers along the ink.

                “Are you…jealous? Of you? Because I’m assuming he’s flirting with the Peter on my side. You don’t have to worry about anything because he’s about as emotionally open as Derek is,” Stiles divulged.

                “If its purple it means they’re touching. As soon as Nim is back I will drag my baby boy to our bed and he won’t leave again until he smells like us again. This is torture,” Peter whined. Stiles was blushing and he looked away from where Peter kept tracing his tattoo and biting his lip, “You should not assume your Peter has no desire for you. Especially since he keeps stealing your blanket. And is touching my Stiles and leaving him feeling aroused. I am trying not to be jealous. Honestly.”

                “This is kind of funny,” Stiles shrugged.

                “Are you teasing me?” Peter looked up.

                “I might be. Not used to seeing you so…I don’t know what to call it. It’s cute. You’re like a puppy,” Stiles poked him in the side and Peter responded by stepping back into Stiles space and backing him against the counter.

                “I’m not above putting you over Daddy’s knee and spanking that attitude right out of you,” Peter purred. Stiles’ face turned bright red and his pupils grew slightly. He took a deep breath and gripped the counter top, “Mmmm, seems you and my Stiles have that particular kink in common.” Peter stepped back and moved to the oven to place the casserole inside and set the timer.

                “I – what – um,” Stiles babbled and Peter just laughed.

                “Shut you up,” he chuckled and poured two cups of coffee. He opened the back door to the porch and turned on the twinkle lights and porch lamp. Stiles followed him onto the porch and sat in the rocking chair next to Peter. He placed his cup on the small table and looked out over the preserve in front of them. It was lightly foggy and fireflies could be seen dancing in the grass. Peter was leaning back in his chair and sipping his coffee. He looked calm. Looked handsome. Looked like someone Stiles wanted to keep this up with. He swallowed and let himself relax in kind.

                “You two do this often?” Stiles asked.

                “Yes. We often come out here when sleep is impossible. Well, when we don’t decide to just fuck until we’re tired again,” he snickered, “But yes. Derek made these rocking chairs. And the tables. Engagement gifts. We love using them and it inspired us to want a home of our own. We’re having our own home built over there.” Peter pointed to a foundation of a home about 200 yards away.

                “We’re getting our own house?” Stiles cocked his head.

                “Yes. Turns out we are too loud. And with their baby on the way they will need to extra room and I am more than willing to give up our room to become a nursery. The builders should have the home ready in 3 or 4 months. Which is perfect timing. You helped design most of it. With Lydia’s help. A big, open floor plan for the bottom floor, living room flows into the dining area off the kitchen. Upstairs there will be 3 rooms and 2 full bathrooms. We hope to have a child someday and they will want for nothing. On the top floor there will be one master bedroom and master bath. Ours, obviously. We are also constructing an elaborate basement set-up where you can practice your magic and I can train. You also tossed out the idea of building a playroom off to the side, which I am definitely considering,” Peter laid out.

                “Wow. That’s – that’s a lot. So you really want a life with him,” Stiles hummed.

                “I do. More than anything,” Peter whispered and grabbed Stiles’ hand where it was perched on the armrest. He gently let his thumb rub over Stile’s knuckles and held his hand. They kept looking out into the woods and drinking their coffee. They ended up talking for a few hours. About books, films, Stiles even ranted on about comic books and he was surprised that Peter knew enough to contribute instead of just listening. Apparently the other Stiles got Peter hooked on a few. It was 4:50am when Peter finally glanced at his watched. He had heard the buzzer go off earlier but a sleepy Danny turned it and the oven off before climbing back into his pile with Jackson. He heard a car pull up in the front of the house and heard footsteps come around the side of the house. Stiles heard it to and seemed to be on edge until Peter pressed against his hand.

                “Hello, John,” Peter called out.

                “Hi, Peter. And hi, alternate reality version of my son,” John laughed as he rounded the corner and stepped onto the porch, “Thought I’d stop by on my way home from work before I pick up breakfast for the misses.” He was in his uniform and looked utterly exhausted.

                “Hi,” Stiles smiled and stood up to hug the man.

                “So, which one told you about the unfortunate switch?” Peter grinned.

                “Melissa, of course. Scott told her and she told me when she came to bed last night right as I was leaving for work,” he sighed, “Oh, in this version I married Melissa a few years ago. You were my best man.”

                “Oh, where I’m from you two are just dating. But you seem like your gearing up to ask her to marry you. She’s definitely been dropping hints. By hints I mean outright asking you if you ever want to get married again. So, yea,” Stiles laughed.

                “Nice to see that you’re virtually unchanged between alternate timelines or whatever,” John patted his shoulder.

                “Speaking of, you let this old man take your young boy’s virtue. I am very surprised,” he joked.

                “You think I wasn’t pissed when I found him sneaking in through your window?” he smirked, “At first I thought it was like when Derek was always sneaking in to bug you doing research. But finding you naked together in the shower was…well, I drew my gun awfully quickly but holstered it and waited for you to at least get dressed.”

                “A dignified death,” Peter interjected.

                “But you were pretty insistent that I not shoot him. Kept babbling about how you loved him and that you were mates. Then you had to explain that to me. A conversation uncomfortable for all of us. We moved past it. I let you move in with Peter and you both came over for dinners twice a week. He told me he was going to ask you to marry him. I gave him my blessing and here we are,” John offered.

                “I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of this. But I’m glad everyone is happy and mostly safe,” Stiles said with a soft smile on his lips.

                “I was told you’re conjuring another Djinn at dawn to hopefully switch them back. Do I need to be worried about anyone getting hurt?” the sheriff asked.

                “I shouldn’t think so. The Djinn needs them switched back as much as we do. Unless this one was hell bent on unraveling the universe, which we doubt. Deaton has a plan and we will enact it around 5:30am. I can hear everyone else waking up in the house. Do you want me to fetch Scott for you?” Peter added.

                “No. Let him slowly wake up with the rest. I need to grab some ridiculous biscuits and gravy with a large side of scrambled eggs and cinnamon rolls for Melissa. Or she might have my head this time,” John laughed along with Peter.

                “Jesus. How does she put that all away? You’re not eating any of it, are you? Only egg white and veggies for you, mister,” Stiles pressed.

                “I promise I’ve stuck to my diet. Good to hear my heart is a mess in all timelines. But no, I will not be eating any of it. Melissa is eating for two and I will not deny her or that kid anything,” John smiled to himself and looked up at the sky as it slowly brightened.

                “Melissa is pregnant? I’m gonna have a sibling?” Stiles paused.

                “Yep. We thought she was going through menopause. Turns out that we were wrong,” John shrugged.

                “Oh my god. That’s amazing,” Stiles beamed and wrapped his arms around his dad like no other.

                “This is about how you reacted when we told you the first time,” he mumbled into Stiles’ shoulder.

                “When I go back I’m telling everyone everything and they’re going to flip,” Stiles breathed out.

                “I need to head out, but I’m glad I got to see some other version of you before you left. Life is never boring,” John stepped back and pulled a small bag out of his pocket, “Can’t forget this ginger tea for Lydia. Melissa was insistent.”

                “Bye, John. I”ll call you when we get your kid back,” he waved and the sheriff walked off.

                “This is insane,” Stiles remarked.

                “Quite. However will you adjust to this?” Peter sassed.

                “You are just all snark,” Stiles laughed.

                “Pot. Kettle,” Peter grinned.

                “How did your Stiles keep you in your place?” Stiles demurred.

                “I feel like you can deduce that one your own,” Peter winked.

                “Ugh. You’re the worst,” Stiles rolled his eyes, “So, do you top or bottom?”

                “We switch. But I usually top. You do enjoy being held down,” Peter gave him a lecherous smile and Stiles blushed again.

                “You’re doing this on purpose,” he grumbled.

                “A bit,” Peter confirmed.

                “Are you really excited to get your Stiles back?” the spark sighed.

                “I am. Very much. And you’re excited to get back to yours?” Peter asked.

                “I am. But I like this universe a lot too. For different reasons. Everyone here seems more stable and the pack is knitted together nicely. Back home, we feel this close to falling apart sometimes. Derek is always on edge. You’re always angry. Lydia seems far away and so does Jackson. I’m always worried Erica and Boyd are just going to leave. Its hard sometimes. I think one of the reasons I’ve been so angry today is because you guys seem to have what we can’t quite figure out,” Stiles sniffed.

                “Your alpha is alone and packs do better when they have a mate. If Lydia seems distant it might be because she feels the detached from the alpha, same for Boyd and Erica. When you get back you should focus on helping Derek find his mate or at least a partner to help keep him grounded and anchored. I mean, you’re my anchor. Without you I struggle on even the best days,” Peter supplied.

                “I’m sorry, you think Derek is going to let us send him out on speed dating or go out on blind dates?” Stiles scoffed.

                “You’ll figure it out. You’re smart. Potentially the smartest in the pack. Though, Lydia might argue,” Peter added.

                “How soon do we need to gather and do the magic mojo?” Stiles redirected.

                “Not too long now. I can hear everyone awake. Breakfast is ready and we are going to cast the spell over in the clearing so we don’t need to go far,” Peter stood and gestured for Stiles to follow. They went to the kitchen and all sat around eating breakfast in the gentle quiet of the early morning. Stiles and Danny consumed most of the spicy casserole while the rest ate the other. Lydia sipped on tea and ate granola and yogurt, plus a chocolate muffin that Derek had stashed for her. Stiles braced himself when Deaton arrived, they were ready to get started.

                They all walked out into the clearing and Stiles scattered the ingredients the spell called for and followed Deaton’s instructions. He spoke the words aloud and lit the timber in front of them. Everyone waited and it wasn’t more than a minute before purple smoke started in front of Stiles’ face. It expanded to the ground and a tall man materialized in front of them. He had tawny, brown hair that was slicked back tight atop his head. He was wearing a dark blue suit that clung to his body.  

                “You rang?” the Djinn sounded annoyed.

                “I sure as fuck did,” Stiles started, “Yesterday you opened up some weird vortex that sent me into some alternate timeline, switching me with their Stiles. We would very much like to be switched back.”

                “Ugh. Mortals,” he groaned, “It just so happens that the timeline I switched you from is summoning their own Djinn to swap you as well. Wait here and we will open the portal for you to pass through.”

                “How can we trust you?” Peter crossed his arms and gave the Djinn a long look.

                “I suppose you can’t. But you know as well as I that this switch could have never remained. I would have switched you back eventually, but you seem to be forcing my hand now,” the Djinn stated.

                “True. And if there’s any funny business then you can just consider yourself a permanent resident of this forest. Because you’re trapped in a supernatural vector trap. If what we want doesn’t happen, we won’t erase it and you get to stay here until you meet our demands,” Stiles warned.   

                “Fine. Geez. So dramatic. The portal is opening in a minute. Only the switched may cross it. You will be able to see through to the other side, much like a window. You won’t be able to hear one another between the planes, just watch. Understand?” the Djinn tensed.

                “Understood,” Derek nodded.

                They all waited and watched as the blue light slowly grew in front of them and expanded into a large opening roughly the size of a large van. The light shimmered until they could see clear through to the other side. Stiles finally saw himself standing there with Peter on one side and Lydia on the other. Derek was directly behind her with Scott and Allison on the other side of Peter with Jackson with Boyd, Erica, and Danny. They all looked worried until Stiles beamed at seeing his pack and Peter through the portal. He immediately bound through and flung himself at his Peter. They were kissing reverently before he even acknowledged anyone else. The other peter watched them with wide eyes, the affection was strong and genuine.

                “I missed you so much,” Stiles said against Peter’s lips.

                “I missed you too, baby,” he smiled and kissed him again.

                “So, I’ll be going. Super nice meeting all of you,” alternate Stiles began.

                “Wait,” Stiles stopped him from leaving,” Before you go, there are some updates you need. Derek and Lydia sort of had sex. Mated, to be more specific. Jackson knows…but no one has really talked about it yet. Things are a little weird over there. But I think its going to be ok. Your alpha is…pleased. Dude was high strung and now he’s finally relaxed. Who knew he only needed to pop a knot with a pretty red head.”

                “Of course,” Peter laughed. Derek and Lydia stared across the way at their alternate selves and waved. Derek pulled Lydia against him and kissed the back of her head, his other hand settling over her stomach. She blushed and winked at alternate Derek. The alternate dup found themselves holding hands without thinking.

                “Man, I wish I could tell alternate me how good Danny is in bed. Then he can stop trying to make it work with Lydia,” Jackson snickered, “I mean, I love you, Lyds. But you know how I was before I realized men were an option.” Danny smacked his arm before turning his face to kiss him. Alternate Jackson and Danny blushed and looked away from each other.

                “Its gonna be fun when I tease them when I get back over there. Peter is probably going to throw me through a window though,” alternate Stiles shrugged.

                “Given all our amicable flirting, you probably shouldn’t worry about it,” Stiles pressed.

                “Well, time to go. This has been mega weird,” alternate Stiles gave a mock salute and stepped through the portal. Everyone waved before it finally closed.

                “You flirted with another man?” Peter teased.

                “Simmer down, sexywolf. I was flirting with you. Just a different you,” Stiles soothed and pressed his face into Peter’s neck.

                “What were we like over there?” Allison interrupted their reunion.

                “Insufferable. The whole lot of you. So whiney. Until Derek finally banged Lydia. Which was my doing. They really should thank me for accidentally dumping a truckload of weirdness on top of them. Now their Derek has his Lydia. Things should get interesting over there.

                “Enough of this. You smell slightly off and I won’t have it. No one interrupt us. I am taking him up to bed and thoroughly debauching him,” Peter threw Stiles over his shoulder and practically sprinted up to their room. The rest of the pack just laughed at them. Derek scooped Lydia up and carried her to the porch where he would end up rocking with her in his lap while watching Jackson, Scott, and Isaac train. Allison sharpened new bows while Boyd and Erica went to go pick up their daughter from Erica’s mother’s house.

 

**

_“So, you’re back,” Lydia smiled at Stiles._

_“I am. And I hear stuff has happened in my absence,” he looked between Derek and Lydia._

_“It has. And it’s a good thing. It might be awkward for awhile, but our Alpha found his mate,” Lydia grinned and blushed._

_“Apparently,” Stiles cocked his head, “And I’m glad.”_

_“I have mixed feelings,” Jackson revealed._

_“I figured as much. If it makes you feel any better, over there you and Danny were nauseatingly happy. You practically wrote sonnets about Danny’s tongue. If you need any convincing alternate you told me to say ‘imagine the way Danny rolls his tongue when he’s talking to his brother, but imagine it around your cock.’ Which sounds awfully promising to me,” Stiles laughed._

_“He’s not wrong,” Isaac inserted._

_“See, endorsement from the partner. That’s a 5 star yelp review, basically,” Stiles continued, “The three-way cuddles you guys had were also adorbs, by the way.”_

_“I won’t pretend like I’m not on board with that,” Allison smirked._

_“These next few weeks are going to be fun,” Stiles rubbed his hands together, “Now, I need to talk to Peter. So you guys all do what you’re gonna do. Ask the alpha, if he’s not too busy doing lovey mate things.” Stiles grabbed the sleeve of Peter’s sweater and dragged him to the house. The rest of the pack seemed to fall into conversation as the duo made their way through the house and up to Peter’s room._

_“What do you so urgently and privately need to talk to me about?” Peter asked._

_“I think we should date,” he blurted._

_“Excuse me?” Peter started, “What ideas did that other version of me put in your head?”_

_“Great ones!” Stiles shouted, “They’re getting married. They love each other. He’s building a house for Stiles and they want kids. Their pack is strong and their bonds are solid. And it took me watching him look at pictures of his mate the way I’ve always wanted you to look at me to make me realize what it was I really wanted.”_

_“But, Stiles – “_

_“No. No arguing. I know you flirted with that other me. I know he told you all about his relationship with his Peter. And I know – I know – that you want me too. You steal my blankets. You try to bury my scent in your bed. It makes you feel better. And maybe you make me feel better too,” he let out a shaky breath. Peter stared at him hard and let his eyes scan the boy’s face while the steady heartbeat echoed in his head. Without a second thought he dove forward to kiss Stiles rough and desperate. Both men melted into each other and fell backwards onto the older man’s bed. Peter ripped Stiles’ shirt down the middle and pressed him hard to the bed. Stiles gripped at Peter’s chest and pulled him closer._

_“I thought – we would – go on- a date first – “ Stiles blurted out between kisses._

_“Why? Do you want me to woo you first?” Peter licked his way down Stiles’ jaw and fumbled with his belt._

_“Fuck, no,” Stiles moaned and let the older man work his pants down. They kept kissing and biting and rubbing against each other while pulling at clothes. Once they were naked they just rolled against each other with sloppy, languid movements._

_“God, touch me. Please,” Stiles begged and spread his legs while Peter grinded against his hips._

_“Anything, baby,” Peter reached down and began to stroke the spark. Stiles grabbed for Peter’s cock as well and the jerked each other while not letting their lips leave one another. They were quick and wanton, barely taking a breath until both were coming quickly across one another. Their cum pooled on Stiles’ chest and stomach, Peter rubbing it into their skin and pressing slow and deep kisses onto Stile’s neck while working back up to his lips._

_“Mmmm, that was…embarrassingly quick. For both of us,” he breathed out._

_“Next time I intend to finish inside you. And take as much time as I want,” Peter smiled._

_“That’ll be nice,” Stiles closed his eyes and let Peter’s weight fall on his body, “I’m sorta glad that Djinn did what he did. Especially if it means more of this.”_

_“Me too. Now, I am going to clean us up, get us some food, then we are not going to leave this room until we have completely exhausted ourselves. I see no reason to socialize when we both no what we really want to be doing,” he gave Stiles another kiss before climbing off the bed._

_“I concur, creeperwolf,” Stiles smiled._

_“Brat,” he countered with a wink._

_“Daddy,” the boy purred and Peter froze before giving a wicked grin._

_“This will be very, very fun,” Peter grabbed a towel from his bathroom._

_“I hope you knot me,” Stiles admitted._

_“I have a very good feeling I will, darling,” Peter wiped himself down while looking at his partner._

_“Already with the pet names,” he laughed._

_“I do believe you started it,” Peter gave him a playful shove and started cleaning him off._

_“Maybe. Fetch me food and get back to this bed,” Stiles half-heartedly ordered._

_“Of course,” Peter pulled on his pants and made his way down to the kitchen. They ended up barely leaving the room for 2 days. Lydia and Derek announced their mating officially and Lydia moved into Derek’s room. It took awhile for everyone else to settle into place. They were happy. They were whole. And all it took was a Djinn because everyone was too stubborn to see what they had needed all along._


End file.
